


Accidents Happen for a Reason

by SugaryMystery



Series: Stagvale [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Exophilia, Exophilia Original Work, Exophilia Writing, M/M, Sugary Mystery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:33:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23314690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SugaryMystery/pseuds/SugaryMystery
Summary: Things seem to go well with you and your old friend, although its hard to keep hidden your crush on him. But when a little accident occurs thanks to your clumsiness and things just escalate with this, is your friendship enough to keep them together?
Relationships: Cryptid x Human, Male Monster x Male Human, Male Selkie x Male Human, Selkie x Human
Series: Stagvale [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662847
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Accidents Happen for a Reason

I’ve lived in this little town for as long as I can remember. A small town that can be barely noticed on a map has been my home ever since I take my first steps, everybody knows everybody and there’s always something to do. Whenever it is near the shore, uphill towards the acres, or just in town if you’re looking for something to buy you’ll find people passing by and happy to wave you ‘hello’.

My uncle owns a small souvenir shop where I work as a cashier most days of the week, but from time to time I make small crafting classes for little children or people who want to learn a new hobby. Many people pass by and are happy to join whenever is to just watch, buy, or do something themselves. There a certain joy on making something with your own hands and take it to your home, a feeling of pride that hold happy memories of the day.

I don’t consider myself much of an artist but people come here to have fun and kill time. My favorite students are the kids from the local school, they can be a little bit messy, especially when we use paint, but they have tons of imagination and creativity when it comes to arts and crafts.

Today I’m teaching them how to pain shells and use them to decorate many other things, like photo frames or how they can be used to make gifts for their parents. Is still too early to even open the shop but I’m already preparing the table and the tools we will be using, is always better to be prepared when it comes to little kids, I’ve learned that over the years the hard way.

I cannot start my day without a good dose of caffeine so I walk all the way to the coffee shop just to get my favorite drink. I don’t like warm beverages despite the freezing cold weather, so I always ask for two Frappuccino’s first thing in the morning. The girl who serves the coffee in the shop shivers when she sees me drinking it, which is pretty funny, I thought she must have got used to my unusual ways.

I grab my order and walk back to the shop, and like always, there’s somebody already waiting in the door carrying a large net.

‘’Sorry sir, we are not open for today. We’re teaching arts and crafts in the evening so we won’t be open until 4pm’’. The man turns around and I can clearly see his face, although I already knew it was him. I give him my customer service smile and earn a grunt from him.

‘’You know I’m not here for that’’ he crosses his arms and glares at me, I can’t help but chuckle. 

‘’I know, I know. You don’t have to get angry so early in the morning, Gus. Here’’ I handed him the other Frappuccino and he gladly accepts it. Thankfully I’m not the only odd one here, Gus is also fond of cold drinks and cold weather, I remember once seeing him swimming in a frozen pool in the middle November just because some guy dares him to do it. He can be a little compulsive, that is.

‘’I’ve brought the shells you asked me, I even took the time to wash them and clean all the dirt off of them’’ he grabs one and shows it to me, they smell like toothpaste and feel smooth to the touch.

‘’The kids will thank you for that. I can still remember the first time I give a class and I forgot to do it’’ I laugh and he laughs with me.

‘’Yeah… I remember’’ he tries to speak between laughs. ‘’After the class finished you were so embarrassed that you asked me to take you the bar so you could drown your sorrows in beer. You got so drunk that I had to literally pull you from the collar before you attacked one of the parents who were talking shit about your classes’’ 

Gustavo, or Gus for the locals, is the only son of Mr. Lagos, one of the best fishermen in the town. There’s a rumor of people saying that they have seen him swimming on open sea and fishing without using a net, only his hands. Is a common urban legend that surrounds him and the people who work with him, needless to say, everybody just assumes Gus is the same.

However, in all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him go swimming at open sea or fight against sharks, he’s just a regular guy to me who always makes me great discounts with everything I need for my arts and crafts classes.

He keeps his beard short but his hair stays a little long, he has tattoos on his forearms and pectorals, and even though he’s often with his father fishing he doesn’t seem to be affected by the cold weather. He might be weird in many ways but I know him ever since I went to school, he’s both caring and trustworthy, and the best friend one can hope for.

Although, I had to admit that, from time to time, I wish we could be more than just that. I’ve had a crush on him since we were teenagers and having him always close hasn’t help me with that. In the more restless nights, I can find myself fantasizing about going on dates with him, how his beard would feel if we kissed, or how his strong body would feel against mine. But I’m too much of a chicken to ask, we have a beautiful friendship there’s no need to ruin that.

I open the door and Gus follows me inside, leaving the huge net with shells on the table. I motion for him to take a seat while I fetch something to eat from the kitchen, it’s easy to get up early when we live upstairs the shop.

I turn the TV on and give him a tuna sandwich, another oddity of him. He has such a sweet tooth, but his diet consists of mainly seafood, fish, or caffeine. I wonder if he’s secretly a mermaid in glamour or something, I cannot deny that I’ve become more curious as the years pass. Since there’s still an hour left before starting the class I spend most of the early morning talking to Gus and watching the local news on the TV. It’s silent moments that we share what I treasure the most, he’s not very talkative but that’s fine by me, we don’t need words to know what’s happening to the other.

‘And on today’s weather program; we recommend for people with residence near the shore to stay at home and secure their vehicles if they decide to park outside a secure area. Strong winds and heavy rain is to be expected from 7 PM. in the evening of tomorrow. Fishing and swimming activities are prohibited and the shores and beaches are being now secured by the local police’

I turn off the TV and Gus and I exchange looks. Winter just ended, yet this is the first big storm of the year. I’m pretty sure that Mr. Lagos won’t have trouble spending one day not working, but I know that this may bother Gus. After all, he loves to sail when he has the time.

‘’Damn it’’ he sighs. ‘’Just when I thought I could enjoy the sea by myself. My Dad even let me use his boat this week’’

‘’Is just one day, you’re not going to dry out like a merman on the shore. Right?’’. He shrugs and looks out of the window, watching at the now calm waves of the sea who will soon start to turn violent.

Even though we’ve been good friends since childhood and my uncle is good friends with Mr. Lagos, but nobody knows if they are some sort of cryptid or if they’re just normal humans. Whenever I asked about it he would freak out or become distant, eventually, I learned to brush it away, he must have his reasons not to tell me.

‘’Anyways, it is better if I go and tell my dad about it. He’s probably already on the shore waiting for me, he’s going to be mad about this’’ he stands up and grabs what’s left of his sandwich before disappearing behind the door.

I have no time to worry about him with all the work I have to do, so I start preparing the materials for today’s class.

image  
Today came more children than I first expected but we all had a great time, I even bought some googly eyes to glue in the shells as well as some glitter and ribbons. It always surprises me how the kid’s imagination can turn the most simple of things in the most magical and entertaining things in the world. Shells quickly turned into toys, decorations, or gifts for their friends and parents, everybody left with their hands full and broad smiles on their faces. Today was a success.

While I was cleaning the tables I noticed I haven’t finished my Frappuccino from the morning but when I tried to grab it I tripped with the cords of my shoes and spilled it over the table. ‘’Shit!’’. I grab the cup as quickly as possible but it’s too late, not only it’s all over the table but also soaked a coat I didn’t notice was there before.

I grab it, and under better inspection, I remember seeing Gus wearing it this morning, he must have forgotten it. ‘’No, no, no! He’s going to be so mad, he rarely takes this thing off!’’ Panic started to fill my mind, I quickly grab it and wash it with water hoping it wouldn’t stain it, it doesn’t smell but feels sticky so I put it in the washing machine. I’m surprised at how heavy and leathery it feels, it doesn’t feel as if it’s made from real fabric. 

I needed to come up with a good explanation or apology for dirtying his coat, although he already knows how clumsy I can be. Still, it’s his coat. Maybe I can buy him another one? No, it still won’t be the same. Maybe I can try and reimburse for it? Let’s be real, I don’t have the money until a few months and I don’t even know how expensive this could be, after all, he treats it as if were made of pure gold. Maybe he won’t be angry at all? …hardly, I remember one time when we went out for drinks and I girl tried to reach for it, he freaked out and yelled at her. I had pulled him out outside before things escalated to worse.

‘‘This is trouble’‘ I sigh. ‘‘It’s like fate decided to mess everything between us!’‘ 

I really hope I’m just overreacting about this whole matter. We’ve known each other since kids, a little accident can’t be stronger than that. But no matter how much logic I put in my head, there’s a weird feeling I just can’t get rid of, like I’ve done something terribly wrong and almost unforgiven. As I just killed an animal or stabbed someone in the back. Suddenly, I felt nauseous.

I went upstairs to hang the coat near my window, just in case he decides to come back tomorrow morning. I fall on top of my bed and fall sleep in no time, my worries hunting me like heavy chains down to depths of a black sea.

image  
The storm starts in the morning, heavy grey clouds fill the sky and in a matter of minutes, a curtain of rain covers the entire town and every shop has closed due to the angry storm. I thought about opening the shop anyways but the wind was strong enough to rattle the windows, even one of my fliers was a victim of the enraged wind. 

My uncle called me saying he will stay in the bar since it’s not safe for him to drive all the way back home no matter how short the distance was. Alone in the house I only bother making something quick for lunch, sadly there’s no more coffee on the shelves and my body is craving caffeine and sugar. Trying to fight my headache I turn on the TV, there’s not much besides the obvious alerts to stay inside, and before I noticed the time I had grown bored and sleepy on the couch.

Suddenly, the door bursts open and Gus rushes inside, she’s damp with the rain from head to toe. He looks tired and in pain, dark circles under his eyes and his hair is messier than usual, probably because of the water too. He’s breathing hard, did he ran all the way here? Why isn’t he inside his house? Did he got lost or was too stubborn to want to seal by himself?

‘’What’s going on? What are you doing here with this weather? It’s dangerous!’’ I rush to him but he surprises me by grabbing my wrist.

‘’My coat, have you seen it?!’’ He grabs me from my arms and starts shaking me without care. ‘’I don’t know where I left it and it’s very important that I get it back, tell me, do you know where it is?!’’ He looks angry but also desperate, without thinking it I shake my head fearing he might do something if he finds out I have it. Never before I’ve had any reason to be scared of him.

‘’Damn it!’’ he lets go of me and runs away back into the storm not even closing the door behind him.

‘’Wait!’’ I scream but the rain is too strong for me to be heard. The streets are so dark I can’t even see where he was going, I can only pray he’d be careful.

What did he look so anxious about it? Is it a gift from a family member? An important relic? I checked the pockets before throwing it to the washing machine, there was nothing in them, and so why was he so desperate to find it?

Things have scaled higher than I expected. How was I supposed to return it now after I lied to his face?! He’s going to be so mad, or worse, he’s going to hate me. The idea of not seeing him in the morning, being glared at, or him giving me the cold treatment pains me more than I first thought.

image  
Three days pass and I haven’t seen him. I can’t help but worry yet I don’t have the courage to go all the way to the shore and ask if he’s okay. Mr. Lagos should know something but he’s rather intimidating to look at with his long white beard and his glass eye, like a pirate from a fairy tale. But the guilt ways heavier than anything inside my mind; he looked so much in pain, with the eyes of a trapped animal inside a cage! And it was all because I wasn’t careful enough… I had to fix this, for him at least.

I decided I’m doing worse by keeping it. He’ll be really mad at me but it’s better if I tell him the truth, maybe he’ll understand that I just didn’t want him to be mad at me? I really hope so. 

The coat is dry and shining like new, it almost looks as if it’s made from real skin. I cannot even look at it long enough without feeling a sense of guilt in my belly. ‘’Fine!’’ I yell and the damn thing, willing to face the enragement if it means I don’t have to feel like shit anymore.

As always, the fishermen are close to the shore, talking, laughing, or smoking. I recognize Gus from afar although he’s not with them, instead, he’s sitting on the smooth rocks looking at the sea. I wonder why he isn’t working.

The fishermen greet me and offer me some beer and smoke but I just walk pass towards Gus, as I do so though, I could feel his father glaring at me with the strength of thunders, sending shivers down my spine.

The weather was cold but the sea looked as calm as ever as if the storm has never passed at all. The morning sun has started to rise from the horizon, a beautiful view we’ve shared over the years, and looking at it right now makes my heart ache with tenderness. Suddenly, nothing matters anymore to me, just him.

‘’Hey’’ I called for him but he didn’t turn, he’s lost in thought looking at the sea. ‘’You haven’t come to the shop after that night so I grew worried… are you, doing okay?’’

‘’No’’ his answer is sharp and sounded painful. I sat beside him just to offer him some comfort. ‘’I already miss the sea. It’s been only a couple of days and I already miss it, the cold water against my skin, how beautiful it looks in the morning, and what other things one can find in its depths. My skin feels so dry…’’

‘’Why don’t you go swimming then?’’ I ask innocently and he starts sobbing, in a matter of seconds, he starts crying. How would I know that my question will cause him so much pain? ‘’I’m sorry, I-‘’ I don’t know what to do, what did I do in the first place? I gently put a hand on his shoulder and thankfully his cry stops.

He turns to look at me with his mouth open, disbelief clear in his face.

‘’Look, I don’t know what did I do, or said, or didn’t say but-‘’ I grab the coat and give it back to him, he smiles broadly and more tears fall from his eyes. ‘’I’m sorry, I didn’t want to lie at you but I dropped the Frappuccino in it and I didn’t want you to get mad, so I cleaned it before giving it back. I never knew why it was so important and I’m sorry if I messed everything but-‘’

Before I could continue whining and apologizing, Gus silenced me by kissing me without giving me a chance to even process what’s going on. However, I put my doubts away by putting my hands on his broad waist and pulling him closer against me. His kiss is both passionate and needy as if he were taking the air in my lungs, his lips were rough and a little dry but his mouth tasted like fresh sweet water, and he smelled like the frozen breeze in winter. His short beard did tickle against my skin, making me giggle, but he didn’t stop.

Suddenly, reality hits me and I gently push him away to catch my breath and thoughts. ‘’Umm… That was, something?’’ I chuckle nervously, I look behind to check on the fishermen who were now laughing and cheering, raising their bottles of beer up while whistling. Gus doesn’t seem to be bothered by them watching us and continues pulling me close to him, trying to steal more kisses from me. ‘’Hey wait… Gus, I’m not understanding anything!’’

‘’You returned my coat, I’m so glad it was you this whole time’’ he whispered. ‘’The idea of someone else stealing my coat was utterly terrifying. I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t think, I was so mortified I cried every night believing I was going to be trapped because I wasn’t careful enough. And now you bring it back to ask me to marry you! I’m so damn happy!’’ he smiles and it takes me a whole minute to react.

‘’What?!’’ I gasp. ‘’I-I, marriage? Coat? I didn’t know it was that important to you… Why?’’

‘’We are selkies’’ he nods, pointing behind him to the others. ‘’I’m sure you’ve heard about us somewhere’’ I shake my head and he chuckles, grabbing my hand. ‘’We can turn into seals with our coats and only with them we can swim in the sea. Old tales tell stories of people stealing coats from us in order to bind us to them and keep us in the land, which is nothing but torture as our skin starts to dry and we never feel at peace’’

‘’I could see that’’ I squeeze his hand. ‘’I’m sorry, I wish you would have told or I will never even dare to touch your coat’’

‘’So you don’t want to marry me now?’’ he teases me and I punch him on the arm.

‘’It’s not that! But it feels like it’s too soon, I mean, we’ve been friends forever so, I don’t know… I’m just trying to process all this information. Selkies, seals, magic coats, marriage… Not going to lie, this is a lot!’’

‘’Well’’ he rests his head on my shoulder. ‘’We have time to get used to, there’s no pressure. But I’m glad it was you, I honestly don’t imagine being bound to anyone else. I have thought about it a couple of times before too but you never show any mayor interest on me, so I guessed it wasn’t mutual’’

‘’I’m very shy, okay?’’ I kiss the top of his head. ‘’But just for you to know, I only fill the fridge on the house with tuna sandwiches for you. I’m so fed up with fish’’

He snorts and falls back in the rock, pulling me down with him and kissing me more.

After that day he comes to the shop every day to greet me, sometimes even staying for dinner to my uncle’s delight. Sure, we agreed on starting slow and get things clear before telling anybody else about it, especially our families, but a few weeks into the relationship and we cannot keep our hands off the other, making it evident to everybody in the entire town.

Our parents even made us a surprise engagement party in which I had that awkward chat with his father. I had to admit that he was indeed intimidating but only made me promise to take care of his only son an make him always happy. If not, he will throw me to the local sharks.

I like to spend as much time as possible with him, let him teach me about the sea and the things he loves. We often go to the beach and swim together, the first time I saw him turn into a seal I couldn’t help but gasp at how cute and chubby he looked, like a barrel with whiskers.

One night of full moon he takes me to swim with him, the waves were calm and the water was warm after the sunset. He takes me to a cave and sits me on a smooth rock before putting a ring on my hand. That night we cried, laughed, kissed, and made love on top of the same coat that started everything.


End file.
